The Five Stages
by Pacisque
Summary: He notices the building before anything, red eyes staring at its earthen bricks with slight fascination, for it is unlike anything from here or his home region, yet as his gaze flickers to the side of the photo, a figure captures his interest; it is a girl that appears to be around his age. Honey blonde hair, pale skin, a bright red skirt-


**THE FIRST** time, in which she steals his attention, she is but a picture on the screen of a television.

He waits at a stall to be served- in a line not too long, but enough to drive one's sense of patience into the ground- and in near unconscious action does his red gaze rest on the small screen that hangs in the back corner of the set-up. Pictures of a far-off region- a large and bustling city, a glorious and gem-like sundial, and the last a picture of a beach that leads up to a colossal and oddly structured tower. He notices the building before anything, red eyes staring at its earthen bricks with slight fascination, for it is unlike anything from here or his home region, yet as his gaze flickers to the side of the photo, a figure captures his interest; it is a girl that appears to be around his age. Honey blonde hair, pale skin, a bright red skirt-  
And instantly does the picture shift to the next, arousing a sense of disappointment within the male as he waits for its return in an eager manner.  
A bustling city… a glorious and gem-like sundial...- wait, here it is again.

She has a rather feminine-looking face, her figure is petite and lacking curves, but her eyes are a colour so mysterious indeed. This female- whoever she is- looks so beautiful, and it takes his mind by surprise, for it also seems as though her being in the photo was involuntary. She looks not to be a model, but rather an elegant by-passer in all her right- gracious, but also so pretty at the-

"…Excuse me, boy, but they've been waiting for you to move for five minutes now,"

* * *

 **THE SECOND** time, in which she steals his attention, she is now a real person standing before him.

A sour taste remains idle in his mouth as he stands there, appalled by her mannerisms. How could a girl so beautiful and delicate-looking act so vile and cold? What has he done to her to evoke such a response?  
His brow furrows down a rather noticeable amount, and yet she stands there, unmoving in both disposition and stance as she awaits his comeback- a rude set of words to match her equally rude response to his greeting. His eyes and mind still see her beauty- he still thinks of her to be even more attractive than what she did in the photo- and as much as his heart wants to remain so friendly and gentle, the negative emotions that have been dictating him since a rather devastating set of events chucks the dummy, and instantly does a somewhat sassy- nay, defiant- look spread across his features.

"Oh, don't feel flattered, _princess_ ," He spits out, bitter tone and all as his mind formulates insults and words that Brendan knows deep down inside do not even match the girl. He inwardly bites down on the part of him that wants to show he can be a friend of hers- that she is worth the effort- and still does his red gaze so shamelessly scan her form and scowling visage over. "If it was up to me, I'd leave you in the nearest ditch."

* * *

 **THE THIRD** time, in which she steals his attention, she is but another pretty face in a sea of people.

On stage and in the zone, never before would Brendan have thought that instead of his routine playing through his still emotionally damaged mind would be the anxiety that comes from seeing that honey blonde girl. His movements and commands remain fluid and of the utmost grace, yet he cannot help but to repeat her name over and over again in his mind, answering it only with questions. Does he look all right? Is she watching him? More importantly, is this girl- is Serena- impressed? Will he finally gain her praise?

…But why on earth does he care in the first place? They are at odds- spitting fire and acid at one another whenever the moment presents itself- and yet they are; he is competing in the field of his passion, eyeing that Kalosian hero whenever possible, and she is so obviously trailing his every movement, grey eyes brimming with fascination and admiration that the black-haired male knows she will hide and deny if he dares to ask her afterwards.

* * *

 **THE FOURTH** time in which she steals his attention, she is naught but a complete and utter mess.

A masculine but lean arm around the back of her waist, the other having its hand hold her head to the side of his neck, Brendan cannot help but feel so sorry for the female as he listens to her life story through loud and pained sobs. She is drenched from head to toe in the lukewarm waters that she once planned to drown herself in, and yet he does not mind as the male feels his clothes become slightly damp, for she is his centre of attention, and for once not in a bad light. He sees how vulnerable the honey blonde female is, and the boy cannot help but to also admire her further, for he only now realises just how much Serena has been through, and how much she has to put up with on top of his insults and hostile behaviour. Brendan feels guilty- beyond that, even; akin to a murderer- for he knows it was him that pushed her over the edge mentally, and at the thought of this does his embrace tighten around the heroine's shaking and traumatised form.

Was this his chance? To finally set things right and correct the wrongs they both inflicted on the other?

In all honesty, the black-haired trainer desires for it to be so, and only continues to cradle her head and body within his grasp trembling form the genuine fear he felt when diving into the scene to save her. Gently, he nuzzles his head down into her own, and instead of it being rejected violently, the male instead feels her cling to his form in a manner tighter and more desperate. He shushes her sobs and listens intently to her words, but as soon as he confesses his trauma and pain- of being betrayed in a manner so disgusting- his heart breaks once more, and for once not over that past scene, no.  
Instead, it is over the fact that her sobs worsen instantly, and in lieu of her story does she yell out apologies to him. And it remains as such until her body collapses from fatigue, still being held so protectively and closely by the young man as he, too, drifts of into slumber beneath her.

* * *

 **THE FIFTH** time in which she steals his attention, Brendan finally overcomes his fear of dating once more.

Here they sit- side by side, and not on opposite ends, on the ledge of a small drop, the seawater lapping around their ankles as the sun makes it descent over the horizon. It is a week to the day since that even which almost led to a tragic loss, and yet the two teenagers have only grown closer to one another since, enjoying one another's company in lieu of resenting it. In fact, if one asks the boy, he will gladly say that, really, he would not trade a moment with her for anything else in the world, for underneath that old exterior has Brendan excavated such a gentle and lost soul of a young woman- one so beautiful and elegant as her outward appearance. She- yes, Serena- makes his heart race at a million metres a second, and the urge to embrace her once more and usher sweet nothings remains forever on his mind. The sting of being betrayed weighs heavy on his heart, yes, but strangely enough, the young man feels as though that a relationship with this delicate female is something that he would definitely consider, for he looks at her and sees nothing but a genuinely sweet and caring person- someone looking for love, and to be taken away from her troubles.  
Red eyes move to rest on her form, and in an instant does his chest feel a strain once more, nervous because of how close she is to him- after all, his palm is digging into the ground behind her back, and her head is so near to his shoulder. Really, he wants nothing more than to scoot over and enshroud her within another protective embrace, however he knows that such moves are inappropriate at this time; not unless Serena, herself, consents to it first.

He clears his throat, and captures her attention, yet instantly moves his head back to face the yellow and pink tinged sky, feeling the smallest thrill in seeing her so eager to be within his attention once more. With a smile on his lips, and a chuckle muffling against them moments after, the black-haired male ushers words of the beautiful sunset, and about his love of the ocean. And as he continues, the faintest hints of red stain his tanned cheeks, for he feels that prepossessing grey gaze of hers cling to his visage, focusing on him and nothing else. The colourful sky, the relaxing sounds of the ocean… the wingull that swoop past, carrying all the good shells away in their mouths- something that makes Serena giggle ever so slightly- , the way the sun slowly mess behind the-

His words are interrupted as Brendan feels something wrap around his arm, and for a weight to settle itself into the side of his shoulder; gentle and not forceful in the slightest. Now, he swears that his heart has stopped- that he has died and moving up into the gates of heaven- for his red eyes see only the honey blonde heroine nuzzling herself into his form, taking refuge in his presence and satisfying his desire to be that bit closer to her in regards to intimacy. Does she feel the same? Is she trying to drop him hints? Why on earth is she now leaving no space between their forms in this side-embrace?

Alas, his answer comes not from himself, but rather the girl, for as he says nothing and displays his liking towards her gestures by resting the side of his head atop of hers, the female only whispers a confession- that she, a girl so guarded and misunderstood, believes for herself to be 'enamoured' by him.

"-however, you are probably not interested in a girl like myself," She ends it with, albeit, the male can see a clear red tint on her pretty features- an unfitting end to such sweet words, yet it evoked enough of response from him. In a slow movement, he pecks the side of her head, and the hand not supporting his weight goes to rest on her lap in a manner so gentle. He speaks of words to defy the latter statement, and in fact offers her a date, and on the moment in which she agrees, Brendan cannot help but to feel as though he is on cloud nine.

...Perhaps his feelings for her are deeper than a mere crush?


End file.
